CURRICULUM VITAE
Name: Roberto Cusano
Date and place of birth: Genoa, 25 January 1970
Citizenship: Italian
Status: Married
Forein language: English
Education:
1991-1994: Graduated "cum Laude" at the University school for Technician in Biotechnology, University of Genoa.
1999-2000: Graduated "cum Laude" in University degree for Technician in Biotechnology, University of Genoa.
2002-2003: Bachelor degree in Biotechnology at the University of Genoa
Professional activities:
1994-1995: Collaborator at the Department of Biology and Genetics (IBIG) University of Genoa Main activities: Linkage analysis in large families with recurrent hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; Mutation screening by SSCP and sequencing analysis; Production of lymphoblastoid cell lines.
1995-1997: Collaborator at the Laboratory Neuroblastoma Research of the Advanced Biotechnology Center of Genoa. Main activities: Molecular diagnosis on tissue of NB patients; Linkage analysis in families with recurrent NB.
1997-2002: Collaborator at the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, G.Gaslini Institute of Genoa. Main activities: Sequencing and genotyping service manager; Linkage analysis by Cyrillic e MLINK software; Molecular characterization of critical regions and disease gene candidates by computational study of genetic databases; Mutation screening by DHPLC, SSCP and sequencing analysis; Human-Hamster hybrid cell production; Selection and preparation of YAC, BAC, Cosmid and Plasmid derived probes for FISH mapping and Southern Blot analysis.
2001: Collaborator at the Laboratory of Human Genetics, Galliera Hospital of Genoa. Main activities: Knowledge transfer of sequencing techniques and use of analysis software; Strategy study and protocol setup for molecular diagnosis in genetic diseases; Molecular diagnosis of hereditary disease.
2001-2002: Collaborator at the Department of Oncology, Biology and Genetics (DOBiG), University of Genoa. Main activities: Setup and knowledge transfer in DHPLC and sequencing analysis techniques.
2002-2003: Collaborator at the Laboratory of Human Genetics, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital of Bologna. Main activities: Start up and organization of the lab, management of the material supply and evaluation of the instruments and equipments required; Analysis of genetic polymorphisms and gene sequences by ABI3730 Sequencer, GeneMapper Software and Sequence Analysis Software.
2003-2004: Collaborator at the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, G.Gaslini Institute of Genoa. Main activities: Cloning and mutagenesis of ion channel genes.
2003-2005: Collaborator at the Laboratory of Human Genetics, Galliera Hospital of Genoa. Main activities: Molecular diagnosis of hereditary disease; Knowledge transfer of sequencing techniques and use of analysis software.
2004-2008: Collaborator at the Tissue Typing Laboratory of Italian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (IBMDR), Galliera Hospital of Genoa. Main activities: Sequencing based typing of HLA loci, analysis and reporting by Assign software; Development of strategies. protocols for genetic analysis of the HLA system.
2004-2008: Collaborator at the Department of Oncology, Biology and Genetics (DOBiG), University of Genoa. Main activities: Structural characterization of genes involved in hereditary disease and development of strategies for molecular analysis and diagnostic protocols; Analysis of transcribed sequences by RT-PCR, sequencing techniques and Real-time PCR; Molecular diagnosis of disease predisposing genes.
2006: Collaborator at the Laboratory of Translational Oncology, S.Croce-Carle Hospital of Cuneo. Main activities: Analysis of expression, methylation pattern, polymorphisms and somatic mutations of genes involved in the drug response variability in cancer patients.
2007-2008: Collaborator at the Muscular and Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, G. Gaslini Institute of Genoa. Main activities: Apprentice education and knowledge transfer of molecular genetics techniques and strategies for high throughput analysis of candidate genes.
2009-2011: Collaborator at the Laboratory of Immunogenetics c/o Technology Park - Polaris of Pula. Main activities: Generation of sequence data by NGS instruments Illumina Genome Analyzer IIx and HiSeq2000; Sample preparation and processing for whole genome and whole transcriptome sequencing; Development of strategies and protocols for genetic analysis.
2012-2016: Collaborator at the Sequencing and Genotyping Platform, CRS4 c/o Technology Park Polaris of Pula, Sardinia. Main activities: Generation of sequence data by NGS instruments Illumina Genome HiSeq2000; Sample preparation and processing for DNA-Seq, RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq, Exome-Seq, target resequencing experiments; evaluation and development of strategies for the analysis of nucleic acids using NGS; Sanger and Next-Generation Sequencing service for external people; Whole transcriptome expression studies by Affymetrix platform; Maintenance and troubleshooting of Illumina sequencers HiSeq2000 and Applied Biosystems 3730; Exome analysis using Galaxy platform and Linux OS programs.
2017: Contract collaborator with the HLA Typing laboratory of the Binaghi Hospital of Cagliari. Main activities: drafting of the project and implementation of a method for the typing of HLA loci using NGS technology.
2017-2021: Expert Technologist at the NGS platform of CRS4. Main activities: management of the NGS sequencing facility; formulation of analysis strategies; drafting of projects; execution of sequencing experiments for WGS, WES, RNA-Seq, target sequencing, 16s Metagenomics.
2022 to date: Program Head of the Next Generation Sequencing Core in the Biosciences sector of CRS4. Main activities: management of the NGS sequencing facility; formulation of analysis strategies; participation in the drafting of projects; execution of sequencing experiments for WGS, WES, RNA-Seq, target sequencing, 16s Metagenomics.
Educational activities
Lecturer at the refresher course for Biomedical Laboratory Technicians organized by the National Academy of Medicine which took place on 6-7 December 2002 at the Galliera Hospital in Genoa. "Techniques and strategies for mutation analysis in disease genes"
Seminar at the Binaghi Hospital in Cagliari, May 17, 2013. "Next Generation Sequencing"
Lecturer at AIBT - Summer School 2015 "Alloreactivity and transplants in humans: new study methods and alternative transplants" which took place in Favignana (TP) on June 4-6, 2015. "Application of NGS with Illumina platform".
Seminar at the AART congress "Role of Natural Killer lymphocytes in hepatocarcinoma. Use of NGS Technology". Caesar's Hotel (CA) April 26, 2016
He is the author of 77 publications in international scientific journals subjected to editorial control and with an H-index of 34.